Getting to and from the airport in Rome. Fiumicino and Ciampino
Rome has two airports. The largest is Fiumicino or by it’s proper name Aeroporto Internazionale Leonardo da Vinci di Fiumicino . Airport code FCO. If you’re flying into Rome from outside of Europe this is the airport you’re almost certainly landing at. The second airport is Ciampino or Aeroporto Internazionale G.B. Pastine di Ciampino a much smaller airport that is also the airport used by VIP jets. If you’re flying with in Europe you may be landing here.
Getting to Fiumicino aka FCO
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Like most things in life traveling to or from the airport comes with choices. Without a doubt the easiest and in this case the most expensive is to take a cab or private transfer. With in the old walls of Rome a fixed rate of €48 applies. For a single person or a couple the cost may be higher then you want to pay. For a larger group it can make quite a bit of sense. There is a taxi stand in front of the airport terminal. Take only official taxis. The taxi will be white with the city seal on the door. You will also see the fixed fee printed on the door. Do not take a non official taxi. You risk paying far more.
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If on the other hand you want something more economical you have two very good options. From Termini station various bus lines go to Fiumicino for €6 per person. The obvious problem is if you aren’t staying near Termini is you’ll need to get from the station to your lodging. For shorter distances you can walk but Termini is well connected with a Metro station,buses and a taxi stand all available for you.
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One of the bus lines
 http://www.sitbusshuttle.com/en/ has multiple stops. You may find one of them more convenient then heading all the way to Termini.
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The other choice is the regional train.
The regional train heads to Tiburtina train station. The cost is €8. Tiburtina is a smaller and less hectic station then Termini. It’s also across the street from the Tiburtina bus station. If you intend to take the bus out of Rome this may make your decision easier. But Tiburtina is further from the touristy parts of the city. Finally the regional train stops at various points along the route. Any of those stops may be closer to your lodging. For example if you are staying near the Vatican the regional train can be a good choice.
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There is a third choiceÂ
The Leonardo Express for €14 will also take you to Termini. Obviously it’s more then twice the price of the bus that takes you to the same station. It does have the advantage of free tickets for children under four years of age. Children under the age of twelve are also free if an adult buys a ticket. That means a couple with two children under the age of twelve could take the express train for a total of €28 instead of €24 for the bus.
If your final destination is not Rome there are multiple daily trains heading north from the airport. These trains stop in Florence,Pisa,Milan,Venice ,Genoa and other cities along the routes. The trains from the airport may not match up well with your schedule but if they do can be easier for new travelers. If on the other hand your schedule doesn’t match up well you can connect at either Termini or Tiburtina. Tiburtina is further north and can be a better option if heading to one of the northern cities. Termini is the best choice if heading south.
The buses that head into Rome from the airport leave from the airport bus station at T3. The same bus station has buses heading to most parts of Italy. For those travelers not heading into Rome the buses offer an additional option. Remember you can also take the train to the Tiburtina bus station.
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Getting to Ciampino aka CIA
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Ciampino is simpler . At least when it comes to choices.
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The taxi rate from Ciampino is only €30 . A group of four should almost always make this choice if the lodging is with in the walls.
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The bus choice is €5.
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Unfortunately there is no train station at Ciampino airport. That means taking the train requires a transfer. It’s not the greatest hardship but taking the bus is so simple that it’s hard to suggest this choice.
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There is a new cheaper services from Ciampino. You can now take the local bus to the Ciampino city train station and then take the train into Rome Termini. The price is a total of €2.70. You’ll need to decide for yourself is the saving is enough to justify the slight hassle of changing from the bus to the train.
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